A look at the beginnings of one of the I.W.W.’s most successful and long-lasting organizations; that of Philadelphia’s multi-racial marine transport workers.

‘I.W.W. Controls Philadelphia Waterfront’ by J. J. McKelvey from Solidarity. Vol. 4 No. 39. October 4, 1913.

The Strike of the Longshoremen of Philadelphia. Its Results. Treason of the International Longshoremen’s Association.

On or about the 10th of May we were informed that the longshoremen wanted to be organized and that they were looking for the Industrial Workers of the World to do the organizing for them.

How this came about I am at a loss to say, as among the workers on the Philadelphia waterfront very few if any understood the principles of industrialism or the form of the organization. However, a meeting of the organizers who were at that time in this city was called and the work of lining up the longshoremen was placed in the hands of E.J. Lewis. After an attempt to locate those who were desirous of getting into the union by Lewis, in which he failed, a number happened to learn that we were holding strike meetings at a downtown hall for sugar workers who were at that time on strike, which meeting was being addressed by Geo. Speed.

They asked Speed to take up the work of organizing them. Speed consented, and at his request they met at the headquarters the following morning to draw up a set of demands to present to the employing stevedores.

This was the beginning of the strike, and in a few days the port of Philadelphia was about closed. The news spread along the twenty miles of waterfront like a streak and it seemed that everything was about to go well for the workers on the front. A few days after the strike was in progress we had the spectacle of the organizers of the I.L.A. butting into the controversy. They came here at that time to line up the fellows in the I.L.A., and began their work of buttonholing the strikers. Their game did not work at that time as some of those approached told them in no mistaken terms that they were not wanted at this time and to get out of the city for the benefit of their health. They seemed to take the hint and beat it for a time.

After a few weeks of striking the members of the strike committee met the employing stevedores and as a result of this meeting they agreed to the following terms.

A minimum wage of 30 cents per hour for every man employed on every dock or ship.

Ten hours to constitute a day’s work.

Time and one-half for over time. Over time to be after 6 P.M. for day work and after 6 A.M. for night work.

The hours of labor to be from 7 A.M. to 6 P.M. for day work and from 7 P.M. to 6 A.M. for night work. One hour for dinner for either day or night work.

Double time for Sundays and all holidays.

The strike was brought to a close on account of the solidarity of the workers.

After the successful ending of the strike the membership began to multiply. We had difficulty in supplying them with the necessary cards for a time. The men wanted the union. This was the first successful strike of the workers on the waterfront, and all seemed satisfied with the work done. There was a substantial increase in wages, there was, now an organization and they were beginning to feel that they were men. Now again come the organizers to the scene. The A.F. of L. was desperate. The I.W.W. was to be wiped off the map. It was an insidious organization; it was anarchistic and those who were members would become anarchists if they remained with the I.W.W.

With the invasion of the I.L.A. and A.F. of L. organizers they enlisted the aid of the press. There was to be a struggle for supremacy on the waterfront. For several days every issue of the press of the city contained glowing accounts of how the I.W.W. had mismanaged the strike and of dissension within our ranks. They were demanding an accounting. Booze flowed freely. Everything was done to discourage the workers and get them to break from the I.W.W. About this time Ettor appeared on the scene and he began to work on the situation.

The A.F. of L. were successful in part. That is, they did bring about a condition where one of the branches declared its independence and refused to buy any more stamps from the I.W.W.

Then a special meeting was called of this branch at which Ettor and the I.L.A. officials were present. There was also lots of good A.F. of L. booze on hand which was used freely before the meeting was opened. The men were fired by the booze and were in no condition to listen to argument. The following day a vote   was taken and as a result of a total vote cast of 130, 100 went for the I.L.A. and 30 for the I.W.W. This action took them out of the I.W.W. for good.

While this thing was going on it was learned that these people who call themselves organizers of the workers were offering salaries to the officers of the branches. They were offering the officers a salary of $21.00 per week and expenses if they would try to swing the bunch into the I.L.A. All methods were used. Secret meetings were held at which the officers of the I.W.W. Longshoremen’s union were invited. They were patted on the back, cajoled, and promised a steady position and money if they would use their influence on the membership to bring about the thing desired.

Now, after all that has been said and done the A.F. of L. has not found this a very fruitful field to operate in, especially as far as the longshoremen are concerned in this city.

True, they did get something around 200 members to join their “union.” Since that they have called several meetings in the downtown district but have been unable to do anything. At a meeting to be held about two weeks ago which was extensively advertised, and by the way this meeting was held in a room leased by a Catholic club, I happened to put in an appearance and waited there until 9:30 with only a few people in the hall and no meeting.

Since then we have not heard of their activity. They could accomplish only one thing–disrupt the organized movement on the front. If successful in this there will not be another organization on the front for some time to come.

The I.W.W. is still supreme on the waterfront despite the fact that boss as well as the officials of the A.F. of L. tried to pry us off. We also have our good friends, the members of the Socialist Party, to contend with. These people, who pose as our friends are quite willing to see the I.W.W. go out of business. Since the affair began I have met several of the “prominents” and have been greeted with the intelligence that the A.F. of L. has captured the I.W.W. They say this with the utmost satisfaction, but when they find that the same is not true seem to be somewhat discouraged.

At this time the Longshoremen’s Union affiliated with the I.W.W. has a membership of about 1,500 and constantly increasing. The waterfront, with the exception of two docks, is governed by our organization, and the membership of the A.F. of L., if they want anything like steady work this winter, will have to come to us.

This does not look as though the I.W.W. had lost out in this city.

The most widely read of I.W.W. newspapers, Solidarity was published by the Industrial Workers of the World from 1909 until 1917. First produced in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and born during the McKees Rocks strike, Solidarity later moved to Cleveland, Ohio until 1917 then spent its last months in Chicago. With a circulation of around 12,000 and a readership many times that, Solidarity was instrumental in defining the Wobbly world-view at the height of their influence in the working class. It was edited over its life by A.M. Stirton, H.A. Goff, Ben H. Williams, Ralph Chaplin who also provided much of the paper’s color, and others. Like nearly all the left press it fell victim to federal repression in 1917.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/solidarity-iww/1913/v04n39-w195-oct-04-1913-solidarity.pdf